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Bookshops | Fashion boutiques | Department stores | Erotica and Lingerie Gifts | Health & beauty | High street | Interiors | Jewellery | Menswear | Shoes Specialist | Sports & Technology | Vintage fashion | Shopping Awards 2008

KJ’s Laundry
Owners Jane Ellis and Kate Allden have an instinct for a good label and stock a mix of lesser-known designers in their super-chic store, including Sydney’s Ginger & Smart, S Sung from New York and Suzannah from the UK.
Best buy Richard Ruiz striped halter dress £245.
74 Marylebone Lane, W1 (020 7486 7855/www.kjslaundry.com) Bond St tube.

Start
With husband Philip Start (founder of Woodhouse), buyer Brix Smith-Start co-owns three excellent boutiques nestled next to each other on Rivington St, EC2. With standalone men’s and women’s boutiques stocking Comme des Garçons, Stella McCartney and Jil Sander alongside Philip Lim and Karen Walker, check out their new, two-floor atelier, Mr Start (020 7729 6272).
Best buy Mulberry lobster keyring £69.95.
42-44 Rivington St, EC2 (020 7729 3334/www.start-london.com) Old St tube/rail.
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Hub
Showcasing a range of perfectly picked labels, locals snap up pieces by See by Chloé, Acne Jeans, Sonia Rykiel and Mackintosh and accessories by local designers. Look out for the gentleman’s-parlour interior at Hub Men over the road at No 88 and Hub’s own label, Beth Graham, with crisp shirting for men and cotton summer dresses for women.
Best buy Beth Graham liberty cotton summer dress £95.
49 Stoke Newington Church St, N16 (020 7254 4494/www.hubshop.co.uk) Stoke Newington rail.

Browns Boutique
One of the first of its kind, Browns has been selling an inspiring selection of avant-garde designer labels for more than 30 years. Proprietor Joan Burstein continues to bring the very best from Balenciaga, John Galliano and Dries van Noten (a best-seller this season, we hear) while Erin Mullaney, formerly of Selfridges, is the new buyer casting her expert eye over the international collections.
Best buy Roland Mouret’s best-selling Neptune dress in red £1,125.
38-39 South Molton St, W1 (020 7514 0064/www.brownsfashion.com) Bond St tube.

Labour of Love
Owner Francesca Forcolini combines her own Labour of Love label with a host of quirky small labels in small quantities from around town. This Islington boutique always has something unexpected, whether it’s a cat-themed Peter Jensen sweater or fingerless mittens from knitwear label Lowie.
Best buy Opening Ceremony woven sandals £165.
193 Upper St, N1 (020 7354 9333/www.labour-of-love.co.uk) Highbury & Islington tube/rail.

Aimé
Stocking a host of delicious French labels such as APC, Isabel Marant and Antik Batik, next door at No 34 is the recently opened Petit Aimé (020 7221 3123) which stocks an adorable range of clothes for children and babies. Also, look out for the temporary sale shop at No 52, opening from June 5.
Best buy Antik Batik checked smock dress £120.
32 Ledbury Road, W11 (020 7221 7070/www.aimelondon.com) Notting Hill Gate tube.

Hurwundeki
Part hair salon, part vintage emporium, Hurwundeki’s headquarters feels like stepping back in time to Sweeney Todd’s lair. It stocks an impressive range of yesteryear clothing, accessories and furniture, as well as its own fashion line of simply tailored men's and women's pieces. Pay it a visit, but don’t lose your head.
Best buy Victorian capes from £75.
98 Commercial St, E1 (020 7392 9194/www.hurwundeki.com) Liverpool St tube/rail. Also: 34 Marshall St, W1 (020 7734 1050) Oxford Street tube.

Hoxton Boutique
This gallery-like store has been a favourite with crooked-fringed locals since it opened up in 2000. The reason for its continued success is a host of niche labels like Paul & Joe Sister, MM6 and Hussein Chalayan, as well as hard-to-get DR Denim.
Best buy Hobo scoop neck tie dress £89.
2 Hoxton St, N1 (020 76842083/www.hoxtonboutique.co.uk) Old St tube/rail.

Diverse
This family-run shop, popular with Islington locals, has been serving up an eclectic mix of designer labels since 1986. Emphasis is very much on catwalk trends, with jeans labels such as 18th Amendment and Superfine alongside well-established designer labels including Marc by Marc Jacobs, See by Chloé and Emma Cook. More recent arrivals include Diane von Furstenberg, Stella McCartney and one of our favourite designers, Kiwi queen of the catwalk, Karen Walker. The menswear shop up the road at number 268 Upper St (020 7359 0081) is equally inspiring.
Best buy Forte Forte cotton shirt £140.
294 Upper St, N1 (020 7359 8877/www.diverseclothing.com) Angel tube.

Margaret Howell
This Margaret Howell store is a testimony to her distinct, natural and low-key aesthetic. The store houses the understated womenswear and menswear collections, as well as showcasing the vintage Ercol furniture collection.
Best buy Short sleeve cotton gingham shirt £165.
34 Wigmore St, W1 (020 7009 9009/www.margarethowell.co.uk) Bond St tube.

Bookshops | Fashion boutiques | Department stores | Erotica and Lingerie Gifts | Health & beauty | High street | Interiors | Jewellery | Menswear | Shoes Specialist | Sports & Technology | Vintage fashion | Shopping Awards 2008